In some conventional systems, to securely pair two devices over, for example, WiFi or Bluetooth, a shared secret or a mechanism to trigger a short time-based pairing may be utilized. Traditionally, this is done by typing in a number or using a button on both devices to trigger the pairing.
One of the devices that is being paired may be a very simple remote control which may possess no way to enter a number and so it needs to provide the secret through another method. Good security typically requires a writeable NFC tag or the use of a full NFC stack installed on both sides. The use of a full NFC stack installed on both sides enables both sides to agree on a secret prior to pairing and this may be more difficult technically as well as more expensive, especially for a low-complexity device such as the remote control. In the case of a writeable NFC tag on the remote, the secret must be updated on a regular basis to prevent brute force hacking. It also requires the use of a more capable NFC tag and a processor that wakes up and generates a code frequently. This approach utilizes more power.
A button to trigger initiation and synchronization of pairing is common, but for a minimal design associated with a device such as remote control, the addition of a special pairing button may not be feasible for a number of reasons. A passive NFC tag may be used to discover devices but does not provide security since the shared secret never changes and could be brute forced hacked or scanned once and then re-used at any point in the future. Writeable NFC tags allow the shared secret to be changed but require more software and more power, which is less ideal in a battery powered system such as a remote control.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present disclosure as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.